CEiMB

FBC 2011

Vanilla Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream

January 8, 2012 — bakingbluefinger

Today I found some leftover Champagne Buttercream in my fridge, to use that up I baked some Vanilla Cupcakes. I looked for a recipe in ‘The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days‘, a cookbook my brother gave me for birthday last year. The method of making the batter was quite different: the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt are mixed in a bowl and the milk, eggs and vanilla essence are mixed in a jug after which they are added to the bowl. The recipe says it makes 12-16 cupcakes. I ended up with 12 regular size cupcakes and 24 mini-cupcakes.

Before I started baking I took the Champagne Buttercream out of the fridge to taste if it was still good, but because the buttercream was too hard I couldn’t try it. I figured I would start baking and by the time the cupcakes had cooled down the buttercream would have probably be soft enough to taste. My assumption was correct, unfortunately the buttercream tasted a bit off… I can’t quite explain what was wrong with it, but it definitely tasted different so I decided to throw it out and make some new buttercream. My eye fell on the almost empty bottle of Baileys and I knew I had to make Baileys Buttercream!

Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until the ingredients are well mixed and resemble fine breadcrumbs.

Mix together the milk, vanilla essence and eggs by hand in a jug. With the whisk or mixer still on a low speed, pour three-quarters of the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the rest of the milk mixture and beat again, now on a medium speed, until the batter is smooth.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cases, up to about two-thirds full. Pop in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes (my regular size cupcakes needed 18 minutes, the mini cupcakes needed 12 minutes) or until the sponges feel springy when you touch them. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Baileys Buttercream

125 gram butter (softened)
250 gram powdererd sugar
4 tbsp Baileys

Cream the butter, add the powdered sugar and mix until it’s well incorporated. Add Baileys and mix well.